Game 28 - Will This Team Ever Win Again?

Old Yankee stalwarts, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, had some firsts in their careers tonight - and it wasn't a good thing.  Pettitte surrendered 4 HRs for the first time in his career.  Rivera allowed back-to-back HRs for the first time in his career in an 8-6 loss to the Rays.  This marked the fifth straight loss for the Yanks, something originally thought impossible during the offseason with a starting rotation consisting of Sabathia, Burnett, and Pettitte.  

Except for the heroics of Johnny Damon, who went 4-5 with a HR and 4 RBIs, this team is dead from the neck up and no one is stepping up and getting the big hit.  In fact, no one can get a sacrifice fly or an easy ground ball when the defense is conceding the run on third.  Mark Teixeira has been absolutely horrendous, failing once again in the first inning after blowing last night's game in the 10th inning, and the Yanks already trailing 2-0.  With runners on 2nd and 3rd and one out, he grounded out to the pitcher.  The Captain has also failed repeatedly this season in the same situation - lining softly to the 2B in the 4th.  Johnny Damon, fortunately at the time, plated the runs with the hardly ever seen, 2 out RBI hit.  Robinson Cano continues to perpetrate a fraudulent baseball player.  Hitting over .300 this season, he's batting less than .200 with runners in scoring position.  If he's up with runners on and 2 out, consider the inning over.

Despite trailing 4-0 and 6-4, the Yanks came back twice to tie the game, largely in part to Damon.  However, this team just can't build on any momentum.  They haven't had a lead in a ball game since last Saturday.  No one wants to play the hero.  To compound matters tonight, Jose Molina strained a quad muscle and had to leave the game in the 6th.  If he goes on the DL, he will join Posada who also went on the DL this week.  Cashman should have made a move for a catcher this offseason, knowing Posada was questionable coming into the season and that he's 37 years old.  Cashman, instead, opted for the scrap heap with career .185 hitter, Kevin Cash, who likely will be called up if Molina is DL'd.  

Arod returns tomorrow and it couldn't come a moment sooner.  However, can he help the team overcome their mediocre starting pitching, horrible relief, and non-existent clutch hitting?  Even the usually reliable Mariano Rivera looks human this year, already matching last season's total of yielding 4 HRs.

Yankees Record:  13-15, 5.5 games back  and getting uglier